Jersey City Takes a “Great First Step” Toward Giving Workers the Right to Earn Sick Days

"In a great first step for the people of Jersey City, New Jersey, members of the City Council tonight proposed an ordinance that would guarantee every worker the right to earn sick days. This is wonderful news for the health and well-being of the city and the state, and it adds to the growing momentum around paid sick days policies in other cities and states and at the federal level.

More than 30,000 people in Jersey City cannot earn a single paid or unpaid sick day when they get the flu or other common, often contagious illnesses. As a result, they are forced to choose between staying home and the loss of the job or the paycheck they need to buy basic necessities like food and gas. This ordinance would help to change that by guaranteeing workers in businesses with 10 or more employees the right to earn paid sick days, and workers in smaller businesses the right to earn unpaid sick days.

Establishing a sick days standard in Jersey City is the right thing to do for working families, the public’s health and the local economy. We commend Mayor Fulop for championing this proposal and for his tremendous commitment to the city and its residents. With his support and leadership, we look forward to Jersey City becoming the sixth city in the nation to guarantee workers this basic right, joining the pioneering cities of San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Seattle, Portland, Ore., and New York City, as well as the state of Connecticut.

Paid sick days protect the health of families and communities while also helping to ensure the financial stability of workers, businesses and economies. With this ordinance, members of the Jersey City Council have an opportunity to show their commitment to the city’s residents while paving the way for the statewide standard New Jersey needs. They should do so right away."

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The National Partnership for Women & Families is a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy group dedicated to promoting fairness in the workplace, access to quality health care and policies that help women and men meet the dual demands of work and family. More information is available at www.NationalPartnership.org.